Military Use of Shannon Airport

Shannon Airport has been used by the US military on their way to/from wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere for over a decade and a half. It has also operated as a stopover point for CIA rendition planes. All this came about without the permission of the Irish people. As a result we are all complicit in gross violations of human rights, the killing of innocent civilians, and unending cycles of suffering for millions of people.

Since 2002 close to 3 million US troops have gone through Shannon Airport. The numbers were at their highest in 2005 when Shannon facilitated 341,000 soldiers on their way to war. The figures for 2012 were less than half that number, and the numbers for 2016 were less than half that again. However this decrease does not in any way diminish Ireland's complicity in war.

US Troops Passing Through Shannon Since 2002

YEAR

TOTAL

2017

60,968

2016

48,648

2015

63,549

2014

55,405

2013

69,840

2012

101,108

2011

250,000

2010

229,000

2009

265,000

2008

256,000

2007

263,000

2006

281,000

2005

341,000

2004

159,000

2003

122,000

2002

73,000

Most of the US troops passing through Shannon are on board flights that are classified as "civilian". These are governed by the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation (known as the Chicago Convention). Most but not all of the troop carriers are operated by Omni Air International. The Irish government has acknowledged that many of these aircraft are permitted to carry weapons on board.

Permits Issued to Carry Munitions of War through Ireland or Irish Airspace

The Chicago Convention states that "no munitions of war may be carried in or above the territory of another State in aircraft engaged in international navigation, except by permission of such State". This only covers the so-called "civilian" aircraft like Omni Air International's that are carrying troops and cargo. In Ireland the Minister for Transport routinely receives requests from aircraft landing at Shannon or passing through Irish airspace to transport munitions. The vast majority of these requests are from aircraft chartered by the US military.

The number of requests made and permits granted to carry munitions are as follows:

YEAR

NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS MADE

NUMBER OF PERMITS ISSUED

2017

944

919

2016

937

8581

2015

869

812

2014

606

584

2013

714

693

2012

821

807

2011

1393

1382

2010

1352

1307

2009

1306

1276

2008

1387

1359

2007

1517

1495

1According to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, 53 permit requests were refused. Of these, 41 were refused on the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and 12 were refused at his discretion.

Of the 944 requests received in 2017

334 were for flights with personal weapons of troops on board landing at Shannon Airport

24 were for flights landing in Ireland with munitions classified as dangerous goods on board

540 were other overflights in Irish airspace with munitions on board(mostly US troop carriers)

21 flights by Irish Registered aircraft not entering Irish airspace

25 were refused, but the Department or Minister for Foreign Affairs will not say why

2 were withdrawn

US Military Flights Through Shannon

In addition to the US troop carrier flights, aircraft operated directly by the US Air Force and Navy also land at Shannon. Quite extraordinarily, the Irish government claims that these aircraft are all completely unarmed, carrying no arms, ammunition or explosives and are part of military exercises or operations. This is desipte the fact that in September 2013 a Hercules C-130 with a 30mm cannon mounted on the side was photographed at Shannon.

For a foreign military aircraft to land at an Irish airport or even to pass through Irish airspace, permission must be granted by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In 2017 his department received 515 requests for landings by military aircraft at airports in Ireland. Of the 515 landing requests received, 1 was refused and 15 were cancelled. The vast majority of these (451) were for military aircraft landing at Shannon Airport. Of these 451 landings, 402 were US military aircraft.

1On 17th January 2016, in response to a parliamentary question from Clare Daly TD to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade that asked the number of military aircraft that landed at Shannon Airport in 2016, the Minister said that his Department received 645 requests for landingsby military aircraft at Shannon Airport. It is not clear if the Minister intentionally avoided saying that 645 planes landed, or if the number that were allowed to land was different to the number of requests.

A much larger number of military aircraft, mostly from the US, pass through Irish airspace. During 2017, there were 1,749 overflights of Irish airspace by military aircraft. Of these 1420 (81%) were US military planes.

In other words, almost 4 US military aircraft pass through Irish airspace every day.

Shannonwatch routinely logs military-related aircraft landing at Shannon. Not all landings have been recorded, but details of those that have can be made available on request. Contact us for more details.